Collapsible cup.



J. L. FOLLBTT.

GOLLAPSIBLE 0UP.

APPLIOA'TION FILED OUT. 3, 1911.

1,020,347. Patented Mar. 12,1912.

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ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANNER?" CD" WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JENNIE L. FOLLETT, OF ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.

GOLLAPSIBLE CUP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ENNIE L. FOLLETT, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Adams, in the county of Berkshire and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Collapsible Cup, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is an improvement in collapsible drinking cups, and theobject thereof is to provide a construction of this sort which will nothave to be touched with the hands when it is made ready for use. The cupis therefore always clean when used, as there is no chance that any dirtor dust upon the hands of the user will get into the water or otherliquid which the cup holds. With this end in view I provide a cup madein telescoping sections which are distended by means of springs. Thesprings are compressed when the cup is to be collapsed, by means of alid or cover which engages with r the base of the cup and is lockedthereby in position. When the cover is removed, the

springs distend the sections and thus automatically make the cup readyfor use.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis s ecificatlon, 1n WlllOh the same characters of reference indicatethe same parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved form ofcup; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isa vertical section taken through the housings for the springs by meansof which the cup sections are distended; and Fig. 4 is a verticalsection on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

On the drawings the base of the cup is shown at 1, and this base has arim 2, in which notches 8 are formed at diametrically opposite points.These notches communicate with grooves 3, which extend for a suitabledistance within the rim in the same direction from the bottom of each ofthe notches 3, and are designed to receive projections 4 formed upon theoutside of a casl ing or cover 5 at the level of the rim thereof.

The grooves 3 are provided with thickened portions'3 at the entrancethereto, as shown Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 3, 1911.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Serial No. 652,499.

in Fig. 4; and when the casing 5 is applied to the base, some force willbe required to rotate it to cause the projections 4, when theseprojections have reached the bottom of the notches 3, to pass thethickened portions 5 and enter the grooves 3. \Vhen however, the casingis applied in this way and turned so as to force the projections 4 intothe grooves 3, the thickened portions 3 will serve to hold the casing inlocked position, by preventing the projections 4 from slipping past theends of the grooves 3' into the bottom of the notches 3, in whichposition the casing could come off. By my construction, however, theprojections 4 are practically locked in the grooves 3, and

there is no danger that the casing will ever get loose and displacedfrom the bottom of the cup while it is being carried about in the pocketof the owner.

Projecting from the base 1, inside of the rim 2, is a pair of tubularextensions 6, which telescope within tubular extensions 7. These tubularextensions 6 and 7 contain springs 8, which are normally undercompression and tend to force the extensions 7 upward. The tops of theextensions or sleeves 7 are open, but are normally closed by removablescrew-threaded plugs 7'.

The body of the cup comprises a number of flaring sections 9, whichtelescope within one another from below upward, the smallest section 9being at the bottom, and the largest at the top. The lowermost section 9is preferably integral with the base 1, and the uppermost is fastened bymeans of solder or screws to the extensions or sleeves 7.

When the cup is collapsed, the sleeves 7 slide down, causing theextensions 6 to telescope within them; and the intermediate and uppersections will rest upon the base 1 in concentric position with thelowermost section 9. WVhen the cup is wanted for use, the springs 8 willforce the tubes or sleeves 7 upward, raising the uppermost section 9,which will lift the intermediate section with it until the lower edge ofthe intermediate section engages the upper edge of the lower section, sothat the intermediate and upper sections can then go no farther.

When the cup is inclosed by the base 1 and cover 5, it is only necessaryto release and remove the cover 5 in order to allow the springs 8 todistend the cup and make it ready for use. After using, the cover isclapped over the mouth of the cup and the telescoping sections 9 forceddown against the pressure of the springs 8. When the cup is completelycollapsed the cover is turned to cause the projections 4; to move intothe grooves in the rim 2, and the cup is completely concealed andprotected against becoming dirty or fouled, until it is to be used thenext time.

From the above description it will be seen that the act of applying thecover 5 collapses the cup by forcing the sections 9 together; and thatwhen the cover 5 is taken off, the springs 8 distend the sectionswithout necessitating taking hold of these sections by hand. In fact,the telescoping sections 9 are never touched by anything except the lipsof the user; and the likelihood of any diseases being transmitted bydrinking from a cup of this construction is reduced to practicallynothing. The purpose of closing the top of the sleeve 7 with theremovable plugs 7 is to enable the spring 8 to be readily removed andreplaced without taking the cup apart, and to enable the extensions 6and sleeves 7 to be mopped out in case they should ever become cloggedwith dirt. Further, the rim 2 is made solid, except where it has thenotches 3 in the grooves 3, so that it cannot serve to catch extraneousmatter. Hence, with the above construction there is not a cavity or holein the cup which cannot be reached if need be for the purpose ofcleaning the same.

I wish to have it understood that I may make certain changes in theshape, size and arrangement of the parts, such as fairly fall within thescope and spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A collapsible drinking cup comprising a plurality of telescopingsections, spring means for distending said sections when the cup isneeded for use, means comprising a casing or cover for collapsing saidcup against the force of said springs without bringing the hands of theoperator into contact with the body of said cup, and means for retainingthe sections of said cup in collapsed relation.

2. A collapsible drinking cup comprising a plurality of telescopingsections, a rim projecting from the bottom of one of said sections,spring means engaging said rim and serving to distend said sections whenthe cup is needed for use, and a cover to be fitted over said sectionsand said spring means and having means for detachably engaging said rimto permit the cup to be collapsed against the force of said spring meanswithout coming in contact with the hands of the user.

3. A collapsible drinking cup comprising a base, a plurality oftelescoping sections mounted upon said base, spring means engaging saidbase and serving to distend said sections, a cover to fit over said cup,and in terengaging means carried by said base and said cover to securethe cover detachably to the base, said cover being of less height thansaid cup, whereby, when the cover is applied, the cup can be collapsedand incased without being touched by the hands of the user.

4. A collapsible drinking cup comprising a base, a plurality oftelescoping sections mounted upon said base, a plurality of cylindricalextensions connected to said base beside said sections, a correspondingnumber of sleeves secured to one of said sections, said sleevesreceiving said extensions, springs for distending said sleeves withrespect to the said extensions to make the cup ready for use, and meansdetachably engaging said base for collapsing said cup against the forceof said springs, without allowing the body of the cup to be touched bythe hands of the user.

5. A collapsible drinking cup comprising a base having a rim, said rimhaving notches with laterallyextendi-ng grooves therein, a plurality oftelescoping sections mounted upon said base, a plurality of hollowcylindrical extensions projecting upward from said base, a plurality ofsleeves connected to one of said sections and receiving said extensions,spring means within said extensions and said sleeves for distending saidsections, and a cover having projections from its rim in position toenter the notches and grooves in the rim of said base, said cover beingof less height than the cup, whereby the cup can be collapsed againstthe force of said spring means when the cover is applied to the cup,without being touched by the hands of the user.

6. A collapsible drinking cup comprising a base having a rim, said rimhaving notches with laterally-extending grooves therein, said groovescontainin looking or retaining means, a plurality o telescoping sectionsmounted upon said base, a plurality of hollow cylindrical extensionsprojecting upward from said base, a plurality of sleeves connected toone of said sections and receiving said extensions movable means forclosing one end of the said sleeves, spring means within said extensionsand said sleeves for distending said sections, and a cover havingprojections from its rim in position to enter the notches and grooves inthe rim of the base and be held therein by In testimony whereof havesigned my the locking means, said cover being of less name to thisspecification 1n the presence of height than the cup, whereby the cupcan be two subscribing witnesses.

collapsed against the force of said spring J ENNIE L. FOLLETT. meanswhen the cover is applied to the cup, Witnesses:

without the cup being touched by the hands ANNIE L. HOOPER,

of the user. ARTHUR W. SAFFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

